Baby nurser



L. A. ZOHE ABY NURSER Original Fi led Feb. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-SheetATTORNEYS.

J m:fl

vl/ I 1 L. A. ZOHE BABY NURSER Oct. 18, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 2'7, 1934 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 55 to the accompanying drawings in which like is opened by thecollapsing of the nipple under Patented o r. 1s, 193s I 2,133,411

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY NUBSER Ludwig Alvine Zohe, Syracuse, N.Y.

Applicatioii'February 27, 1934, Serial No. 713,141 Renewed February 9,1937 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-252) This invention relates to baby nursers, andcharacters designate corresponding parts in all has for its object anipple having an outlet which the views. I is normally closed and openedby the collapsing Figure 1 is a plan view of this baby nurser of thenipple, as when the baby bites the nipple, showing the nipple asembodying a breast por- 5 or in other words, a nipple which requires thetion.

baby to use its jaws to collapse the nipple in Figure 2 isalongitudinal, sectional view of the order to draw the liquid food outof the connipple and breast portion with a collapsible bag, tainer. thebag being shown as nearly filled with milk,

It further has for its object, a nipple with an or other food. outletorifice which is normally closed but which Figure 3 is a view, similarto Figure l, of a 10 is opened by the collapsing action of the nipplenipple unprovided with the breast portion. in any radial direction thecollapsing force is Figure 41s a view, similar to Figure 2, showingapplied, a nurser without a breast portion, the. container It furtherhas for its object, a nipple having being shown as empty and collapsed.such an orifice which consists of slits radiating Figure 5 is a crosssectional view on line 5-4, 15

from a common center in different directions, Figure 2. and at leastthree diilerent directions. Figure 6 is a longitudinal, sectional viewof It further has for its object, a baby nurser a nurser including anipple with a breast norincludingv a collapsible nipple havingsubstantion, an outer solid container, and an inner tially a solid baseportion and a collapsible liqcollapsible container.

uid food container, or bag, detachably mounted Figure! is a sectionalview on line 1-1, Fig- 20 on the solid base portion to form an air tighture 6. joint. Figure 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view, simi- Itfurther has for its object, a nipple having lar to Figure 4, with anipple unprovided with a normally closed outlet orifice opened by the aplug at its inlet end, or a check valve at its 25 collapsing action ofthe nipple, and means as, inlet end. for instance, a check valve at theinner end of Figure 9 is an end view looking down on the the nipplewhichpermits the food to be drawn collapsible container. through the nippleby the sucking action of the l designates the nipple, and 2 the breastporbaby, or passed into the nipple by squeezing the tion, the nipplehaving a comparatively solid 30 collapsible container to feed babiesthat can not base 3 located within the breast portion 2. suck, becauseof an ailliction as a cleft palate, 4 is a collapsible container forliquid food,. hair lip etc., but which means prevents air from thisbeing of collapsible, more or less, elastic mapassing from the nippleback into the container terial, as of pure or latex rubber and hence, isfor the food, as when the baby collapses the capable of expanding andcontracting at its upnipple by closing his jaws, and at the same timeper open end over an annular shoulder 5 on the 35 blows or gulps air.base 3 of the nipple. As here shown, the con- It further has for itsobject, means carried by taint?! 4 s provided with a ring a 6 at s thenipple for preventing folding of the collapsiupper end. which acts S pband fashion o ble bag, or food container, to such an extent thattractthe Open end of the container around the 40 it closes t inlet ofthe nipp1e neck of the nipple, and over the shoulder 5.

The invention also has for its object, a nipple In order to facilitatethe removal and replachavmg means for attaching a collapsible bag ing ofthe container on the nipple, the container thereto, and a breastportion, and also such a is provided at its upper end with flange ornipple with a breast portion having means for flanges here shown as tabs45 h an it 35 g fi portion as open for the purpose of locating it. Thiser 0 5 w appear thmughout the orifice is shown as formed by radiallyextending Specification slits here shown as three in number intersectinThe invention consists in the novel features in common center t 9 andextending i n:

and in the combinations and construct ons e ein diilerent directions,the slits here shown being inaiter set forth and claimed. in the generalform of a Y. Owing to the forma- In describing this invention, referenceis had tion of the orifice 8, it is normally closed, and

' the influence of the jaws of the baby, when nursing. Owing to the Y,or similar formation, it will open when collapsed regardless of in whatradial direction the collapsing force is applied. That is, the orificewill open in any position the baby holds the nipple in its mouth.

Preferably, in order to prevent the passage of ,air from the nipple intothe container, as when the baby is biting on the nipple and blows orgulps air, the nipple is provided with a check valve III near itsentrance end. This is here shown as a flap valve composed of a thinpiece of rubber mounted on the end of a plug II extending into the innerend of the nipple, and formed with a passage through which the milk, orfood, flows.

In order to prevent folding of the collapsible container 4, to such anextent that it would lap over the entrance end of the nipple and henceprevent the outflow of food, stiffening means is provided, and that hereshown is a comparatively rigid straight member I2 associated with thenipple, and here illustrated as projecting from the plug II. The plugII, with the stiffening strip I2, is here shown as a tube split at I3and having a lengthwise portion, or half, removed below the plug.

In Figures 3 and 4, the nipple is shown as unprovided with the breastportion, and in Figure 8 the nipple is shown as unprovided with a checkvalve I0, and also unprovided with the plug II. The nipple, shown inFigure 8, is, with the exception of the outlet orifice, the usualnipple, but in addition is provided with acomparatively stifi baseportion or annular flange 5.

In Figure 6, the nipple, with a collapsible container or bag, is shownas housed in an outer stiff shield, or container I6, this being usuallya glass bottle, and the breast portion 20, of the nipple I00, isprovided with means for interlocking with the upper open end of thebottle I6, and with a suction means for engaging the periphery of thebottle, and as here shown, the bead 40, corresponding to the bead I4(Figure 2), is provided with an internal groove 4I facing the peripheryof the bottle and preferable, this groove is divided up into arcuatesections by partitions I1, here shown as four in number, the edges ofthe partitions pressing against the bottle. The bottle I6 is providedwith an external annular flange I8 at its open end, under which the bead40 hooks. The groove or sections 4I are for a suction cup which causesthe breast portion to adhere to the glass bottle.

The breast portion is provided with a suitable ventilating hole III topermit the air to enterthe outer container for the purpose of collapsingthe inner container 4 as the food feeds outwardly therefrom, so that thefood is subject to the outer atmospheric pressure through thecollapsible bag,

and is not contaminated by coming in contact with the air of the .room.

In operation, the container 4 is filled, or partly filled, with milk, orother liquidfood, and the nipple I coupled in air tight relation theretoby reason of the contractile upper open end of the bag over the shoulderI of the margin. If partially filled, air in the collapsible containeris first expelled by the nurse squeezing the collapsible bag until theair is exhausted. In nursing, the baby must bite the nipple to open theorifice I and suck the food out through the nipple, and as beforestated, if the baby gulps wind while holding the nipple collapsed, aircan not pass back from the nipple into the container 4 so that at notime is there any appreciable amount of air in the container, and thecontainer collapses as the food is drawn therefrom. The baby can benursed, or assisted in nursing, by squeezing the collapsible bag. Also,because of the collapsible bag, or container, the baby may manipulatethe collapsible container in much the same manner that a babymanipulates the mothers breast in natural nursing. When the container isused without an outer container or bottle I6, the stiffening member I2holds the collapsible sack from bending to such an extent as to closethe inlet end of the nipple.

What I claim is:

l. A baby nurser comprising a nipple having an inlet at its inner endand an outlet at its outer end, and an automatically collapsiblecontainer, the nipple having a plug portion extending into and snuglyfitting the mouth of the container, whereby the container is attached tothe plug portion, and the plug portion extends partly into thecontainer, and a projection attached to the nipple and extendingtherefrom lengthwise of the container within the same for preventing thecontainer from folding over the inlet of the nipple.

2. A baby nurser comprising anipple having an inlet at its inner end andan outlet at its outer end, and an automatically collapsible container,the nipple having a plug portion extending into and snugly fitting themouth of the container, whereby the container is attached to the plugportion, and the plug portion extends partly into the container, and aprojection attached to the nipple and extending therefrom lengthwise ofthe container within the same for preventing the container from foldingover the inlet of the nipple,

said projection comprising a tubular portion ex tending into the innerend of the nipple, the passage of the tubular portion forming the inletfor the nipple.

LUDWIG ALV'INE ZOHE.

